The subject matter herein relates generally to communication systems that utilize daughter card assemblies.
Backplane or midplane communication systems, such as network systems, servers, data centers, and the like, use large circuit boards, known as backplanes or midplanes, to interconnect daughter card assemblies. In a conventional system, the backplane or midplane has an array of electrical connectors mounted thereto. The daughter card assemblies, which may be line card assemblies or switch card assemblies, include a daughter card (or circuit board) having one or more high-speed data connectors positioned along a leading edge of the daughter card. The data connectors may have high-density arrays of signal and ground contacts that are configured for differential signal transmission and may obtain high data rates, such as 56 gigabits per second (Gb/s) or more. The data connectors are configured to mate with corresponding electrical connectors of the backplane or midplane circuit board when the daughter card assembly is loaded into the communication system.
The daughter card assemblies may also include one or more input/output (I/O) connector assemblies positioned along a trailing edge of the daughter card that are communicatively coupled through the daughter card to the data connectors along the leading edge. For example, the I/O connector assemblies may be small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceivers or quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) transceivers. The I/O connector assemblies typically have an electrical connector and a receptacle cage that surrounds the electrical connector. The electrical connector may be located a depth within a cavity that is defined by the receptacle cage.
Each of the I/O connector assemblies may receive a single pluggable module that is inserted into the cavity to engage the electrical connector therein. The pluggable module is coupled to a corresponding cable that interconnects the pluggable module to, for example, another pluggable module or another connector. The receptacle cage shields the electrical connector within the cavity from electromagnetic interference. The receptacle cage may also protect the electrical connector from damage if the cable to which the pluggable module is attached is inadvertently pulled or twisted.
Although the I/O connector assemblies described above have been effective, such I/O connector assemblies may not be capable of achieving an electrical performance that is equal to the data connectors along the leading edge of the daughter card. However, the data connectors along the leading edge are not mechanically configured to be positioned along the trailing edge and receive a single pluggable module as described above. For example, if the cable were inadvertently pulled or twisted, the pluggable module may damage the data connector.
Accordingly, a need remains for a daughter card assembly having a data connector along a trailing edge that is capable of mating with a pluggable connector and maintaining the engagement.